Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to the art of turbomachines and, more particularly, to a heat pipe intercooler for a turbomachine.
Turbomachines include a compressor operatively connected to a turbine that, in turn, drives another machine such as, a generator. The compressor compresses an incoming airflow that is delivered to a combustor to mix with fuel and be ignited to form high temperature, high pressure combustion products. The high temperature, high pressure combustion products are employed to drive the turbine. In some cases, the compressed airflow leaving the compressor is re-compressed to achieve certain combustion efficiencies. However, recompressing the compressed airflow elevates airflow temperature above desired limits. Accordingly, the prior to being recompressed, the airflow is passed through an intercooler. The intercooler lowers a temperature of the compressed airflow such that, upon recompressing, the temperature of the recompressed airflow is within desired limits.
Conventional intercoolers are large systems requiring considerable infrastructure and capital costs. The intercoolers employ water as a coolant. The water is circulated through a heat exchange member to remove heat from the compressed airflow. The water is then guided through a cooling tower to remove any entrained heat before being re-introduced to the heat exchanger. Employing water as a coolant has several drawbacks. Water has a limited heat carrying capacity, is required in large quantities, and must undergo a costly refining/purifying process before being acceptable for use in the intercooler. The large quantities of water slow thermal response and, as a consequence turbine ramp-up and turn-down. Moreover, existing intercoolers are complicated systems requiring pumps, fans and sophisticated controls.